Bedford High School’s 64th commencement, scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Armand Sabourin Field, will celebrate the culmination of a grade 12 experience unlike anything for at least a generation.
The 188 seniors, emerging from a global pandemic amidst a national atmosphere of racial reckoning and political polarization, will receive their diplomas in a much more relaxed environment than anticipated even a couple of months ago.
Pandemic-related restrictions have relaxed as the Covid-19 virus receded. The seniors will not be required to wear masks, and the attendance list has been expanded beyond immediate family. “It’s going to look like an actual graduation,” one senior commented.
Willa Potter, an accomplished student playwright, was chosen after written auditions by a committee of teachers and administrators to present the graduation essay. The other student speaker will be Malcolm Mayanja, president of the Class of 2021.
Liana Heldman, a chemistry teacher, was chosen by a class vote to serve as faculty speaker. Principal Heather Galante and Superintendent of Schools Philip Conrad also are on the agenda to speak at graduation.
The musical selections reflect the unique milieu. The BHS Concert Band will play the overture, “March to Concord,” and embedded in that song is the colonial-era melody “Chester” that is a favorite of the Bedford Minutemen. The BHS Honors Choir will present “We’re All in This Together” from “High School Musical 3.” And “Libertango,” the BHS orchestra piece serving as recessional, reflects the theme of freedom.
Then there’s tradition. The seniors will enter the field to “Pomp and Circumstance,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be presented by senior Aniyah Certain, a familiar pre-game national anthem voice at Sabourin Field in 2018 and 2019.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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